12 Things You Didn’t Know About ‘I Will Always Love You’ 12 Things You Didn’t Know About ‘I Will Always Love You’ Chris Willman Tweet Share You probably already knew that Whitney Houston's recording of "I Will Always Love You" is one of the biggest singles of the last 25 years... and the song that defined her legacy, as proven by its use as the lone ballad of homage to Houston at Sunday night's Grammys. Maybe you even know that a not-so-behind-the-scenes songsmith named Dolly Parton wrote and first recorded it, almost 20 years before Whitney spent a then-record 14 weeks at the top of the singles chart in 1992-93 with what turned out to be her signature song. But did you know that Kevin Costner is the one who found the song for Houston? That a cash dispute scotched an Elvis Presley recording of the tune? Or that Saddam Hussein was also a huge fan? Here are a dozen lesser-known facts about the power ballad that America and the world will always love: Dolly Parton wrote it about a professional breakup, not a personal one.

When Parton wrote it in 1973, it was as a farewell to her mentor, producer, and longtime duet partner, Porter Wagoner, with whom she never had a romantic relationship. Wagoner was reluctant to have her go solo, to say the least. "It's saying, 'Just because I'm going don't mean I won't love you. I appreciate you and I hope you do great and I appreciate everything you've done, but I'm out of here,'" Parton told CMT. "And I took it in the next morning. I said, 'Sit down, Porter. I've written this song, and I want you to hear it.'... And he was crying. He said, 'That's the prettiest song I ever heard. And you can go, providing I get to produce that record.' And he did." She even sang it on one of her last appearances on Wagoner's TV show in 1974. Kevin Costner effectively usurped the role of music supervisor on "The Bodyguard," forcing it into the movie when another intended song didn't work out.

The big finale of "The Bodyguard" was supposed to be a cover of "What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted." But when Costner found out that was being used in "Fried Green Tomatoes," he had to go back to the musical drawing board. That's when he came up with the Parton tune, which had previously only been associated with country-rock. It was also Costner's idea to begin Houston's version of the song a cappella. "I thought using no music at the beginning was a stupid idea," producer David Foster admitted to ABC News. But Costner insisted, and Foster said he was never so glad to be proven wrong. Clive Davis didn't think the song would work for Whitney... at first. According to Costner, the reaction was less than unanimously enthusiastic when he told execs at Arista Records what the movie's big closing ballad would be. "When I said to Whitney, 'You're gonna sing "I Will Always Love You,"' the ground shook," Costner said. "Clive Davis and those guys were going, 'What?!' It was Linda Ronstadt's cover version that was really responsible for Whitney Houston's cover.

Ronstadt was the first major artist to cover the song, in 1975, bringing it to rock audiences a year after Parton had a hit with it. Some music fans still consider Ronstadt's version the loveliest. Costner certainly had a fondness for it: It was Linda's recording he knew and was a fan of, and her version that he took to Houston and Foster. There was yet another version of the song in "The Bodyguard," that was even also released as a single... by a punk-rock singer! The song is first heard in the film in the background when Costner and Houston enter a bar. That version was by John Doe, singer for the L.A. punk band X and a frequent film actor in his own right. Funnily enough, though Doe also frequently works in the country idiom, his version was neither punk nor country but straight-ahead pop. The John Doe recording wasn't included on the blockbuster soundtrack album, but it was briefly released commercially... as a cassette single! Houston recorded two different versions of the song — one for the movie, one for the soundtrack album. Not everyone realizes that separate renditions of the tune were sung by Houston on celluloid and wax.

Some Houston fans continue to insist the actual movie version, which was never released on CD, is superior. "The Bodyguard" wasn't the first time the song had been a smash movie theme. Six years after she'd first had a country hit with the song in '74, Parton re-recorded it to add some seriousness to the otherwise levity-filled score of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, the 1982 movie musical she starred in with Burt Reynolds. Read More Not only did Dolly Parton hit No. 1 with it, she did it twice, with separate recordings in separate decades. The Best Little Whorehouse version also hit No. 1 on the country chart, like her earlier rendition — the first and still only time that's ever happened. (Parton recorded it in a third decade, too, in the '90s, as a duet with Vince Gill... but that third Parton version only reached the top 10.) Elvis Presley was going to record it, but the deal was nixed over Colonel Parker's insistence on taking half of Parton's publishing.

Parton thought it was a dream come true when Presley decided to cut the song, and she was even slated to visit him in the studio when he did. Then she was informed that Elvis wouldn't be recording it unless he got half the publishing royalties — a mercenary custom instigated by manager Colonel Tom Parker that, sadly, kept Presley from getting to record a lot of great material later in his career. Parton refused the deal, which was heartbreaking at the time but ultimately served her well. "'I think stories like that are the reason why younger female artists say I've influenced them," she said. "I Will Always Love You" was Saddam Hussein's re-election theme song! In 2002, the Iraqi leader held a bogus "referendum" on his leadership, blitzing election broadcasts on the airwaves of the nation's three government-controlled TV stations with "I Will Always Love You." Sadly, neither Houston nor Parton nor Ronstadt got the honor of helping Saddam keep his stranglehold on power. He used an Arabic version by Syrian star Mayyada Bselees.

Like a lot of Americans before him, the soon-to-be-forcibly deposed leader didn't seem to get that "I Will Always Love You" is a breakup song. Parton serenaded the intended recipient of the song, Porter Wagoner, with an in-person rendition, decades later, not long before he died. At a salute to Wagoner celebrating his 50th anniversary on the Grand Ole Opry in April 2007, Parton came out to sing the song to the honoree. "It was the most emotional night that I've ever spent at the Opry in my whole life," Wagoner told me at the time. "And Dolly of course sang that song 'I Will Always Love You,' and they had me sitting on a stool, and she just came out and wiped some of the tears away... She meant it for me, and wrote it for me, she said. That's a wonderful thing that she stood there and sang it for the whole world to see. And the evening was unbelievable." He died in October of that year. Houston is about to have a top 10 hit with it again, 20 years later.

Perhaps needless to say, Houston's single has been No. 1 on iTunes almost from the moment word got out about her death. It's a shoo-in to re-enter the Billboard Hot 100 in the top 10, with a shot at recapturing its chart-topping status. Reblog Dolly Parton 'Shattered' When Whitney Houston Funeral Included 'I Will Always Love You' - ABC News ABC News Dolly Parton 'Shattered' When Whitney Houston Funeral Included 'I Will Always Love You' April 2, 2012 via NIGHTLINE Dolly Parton. Credit: James Devaney/WireImage/Getty Images Country music legend Dolly Parton said she was "shattered" when she heard Whitney Houston 's version of her song, "I Will Always Love You," played at her funeral, but felt the song has "connected" them. "[It] just shattered me to hear that song played under those conditions," Parton in an interview today with " Nightline ." "I thought my heart was gonna stop. It just pierced me like a knife.

It's just- I can't explain that feeling, to think that that was so final for her, and that that was my words and my feeling- I would forever be so connected to her." "I Will Always Love You," which Parton originally wrote in 1972, has long been a chart-topping hit. It became a No. 1 hit on the country music charts after its release in 1974. Decades later, actor Kevin Costner brought it to composer David Foster , who rearranged the song as a pop music ballad for Houston, who recorded it for the 1992 film, "The Bodyguard." The film was a blockbuster, and the song enjoyed 14 weeks at the top of Billboard's Hot 100. It became the anthem of Houston's career . Parton said she didn't know how Foster had rearranged her song until she heard it on the radio months later while driving in her car. "All of a sudden I hear this- this a capella sound, I just hear this, 'If I should stay,' and it didn't register, and I thought, 'what is that?'" Parton said.

"And just still just kind of- 'That's my song,' but it still didn't register it was Whitney, because it was just this solo voice, and then all of a sudden it went into the 'I will always love you,' and I thought I was gonna wreck. It just overwhelmed me." The day after Houston's death on Feb. 11, "I Will Always Love You" was No. 1 on Billboard's music charts and was the No. 1 downloaded song on Apple's iTunes. Houston's 2000 album, "Whitney: The Greatest Hits," which includes the song, became the leading album, knocking Adele's Grammy-winning "21? from the top slot. Singer Jennifer Hudson's stirring tribute performance at the 2012 Grammys and the TV show "Glee's" rendition of "I Will Always Love You," also helped the song make a resurgence. That has reportedly meant big bucks for Parton, who still owns writer and publisher rates from sales to the song. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Parton has pocketed $70,000 from sales of the "I Will Always Love You" single alone.

"I really owe a great debt to Kevin Costner and to Whitney Houston and to David Foster," Parton said. "I really feel like that song belongs to all of us… I thought God was looking out for me, that it was meant to be, because how lucky was I that that got to be such a huge song. " Parton told "Nightline" she wrote the song in 1972 for her late duet and business partner Porter Wagoner while they were arguing about her leaving his syndicated television show to pursue a solo career. At the time, Parton was already a successful country music star, with a couple of number-one songs. She later re-recorded "I Will Always Love You" for the 1982 film, "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" with Burt Reynolds. "When Whitney did 'I Will Always Love You,' I mean look what a grand song she made out of that simple, heartfelt, you know, song…it was just amazing," Parton said.

"Whitney is the one who took it worldwide and really made it a household word - or song, I should say - so I'll always be thankful to her for that." Parton's latest project is "An Evening With… Dolly Live," a two-disc DVD and CD set, now available at Cracker Barrel Old Country stores and on their website . ABC News' Victoria Thompson contributed to this report Watch the full interview with Dolly Parton on "Nightline" WEDNESDAY, April 4 at 11: 35 p.m. ET/PT Dolly Parton: 'Whitney, I Will Always Love You' | Billboard Dolly Parton: 'Whitney, I Will Always Love You' COMMENTS Dolly Parton: 'Whitney, I Will Always Love You' Country music legend Dolly Parton, who wrote what is widely regarded as Whitney Houston's best song, "I Will Always Love You," has joined the chorus of grieving stars on Saturday upon hearing the tragic news of the singer's death. "Mine is only one of the millions of hearts broken over the death of Whitney Houston," Parton says in a statement to Billboard.

"I will always be grateful and in awe of the wonderful performance she did on my song and I can truly say from the bottom of my heart, 'Whitney, I will always love you. You will be missed.'" Houston had 11 number 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 throughout her stunning career, but none had a bigger impact than Parton's soaring ballad. "I Will Always Love You" topped the chart for 14 weeks in 1992 and remains her most beloved performance. Remembering Whitney • Clive Davis on Whitney (.Biz) It also won her a Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance Grammy in 1994. Parton released the song as her own single in 1974 and it did fairly well, topping the country songs chart. It was re-released in 1982 and reached the Hot 100. Linda Ronstadt also covered it. Houston's version came on the soundtrack for the 1992 film "The Bodyguard," co-starring the singer and Kevin Costner. Houston's death at age 48 was announced on Saturday evening.

Publicist Kristen Foster said that the singer had died, but the cause of her death is unknown. Whitney Houston — I Will Always Love You — Listen, watch, download and discover music for free at Last.fm whitney houston Originally written and performed by Dolly Parton in 1974, this version is the second best hit and the best selling single by a woman of all time! I Will Always Love You was the lead single of The Bodyguard: The Original Soundtrack. Considered one of the most beautiful love songs of all time, it peaked at number #1 in several countries (included United States Of America, United Kingdom and Japan) and in Billboard's Hot 100 stayed for 14 consecutive weeks… read more Don't want to see ads? Subscribe now Similar Tracks Whitney Houston's Billboard Chart Records | Billboard Whitney Houston's Billboard Chart Records | February 11, 2014 9:52 AM EST WireImage 2 Here's a look back at the many chart achievements that the gifted vocalist accomplished. To honor the late, great Whitney Houston on the second anniversary of her passing on Feb.

11, 2012, here's a look back at the many chart achievements that the gifted vocalist accomplished. REMEMBERING WHITNEY Melanie Fiona Sings "One Moment In Time" ALBUM CHART QUEEN: Almost no woman led the Billboard 200 albums chart quite like Houston. The Houston-led soundtrack to "The Bodyguard" stands as the second-longest-reigning album by a woman in the history of the survey. Here's a look at the elite albums by solo females to have spent the most time atop the tally: Weeks at No. 1, Title, Artist, Year Reached No.

1 24 weeks, "21," Adele, 2011 20 weeks, "The Bodyguard" soundtrack/Whitney Houston, 1992 15 weeks, "Tapestry," Carole King, 1971 14 weeks, "Whitney Houston," Whitney Houston, 1986 13 weeks, "Judy at Carnegie Hall," Judy Garland, 1961 12 weeks, "Jagged Little Pill," Alanis Morissette, 1995 12 weeks, "Fearless, " Taylor Swift, 2008 11 weeks, "Mariah Carey," Mariah Carey, 1991 11 weeks, "Whitney," Whitney Houston, 1987 10 weeks, "Forever Your Girl," Paula Abdul, 1989 10 weeks, "The Singing Nun," the Singing Nun, 1963 Houston is the only woman to have tallied reigns of more than 10 weeks with multiple albums.

While no other woman has more than one such set, Houston had three: "The Bodyguard" (20 weeks), "Whitney Houston"(14) and "Whitney" (11). With Houston also leading for a week in 2009 with her last studio album, "I Look to You," her 46 total weeks at the Billboard 200 summit are the most among women. INSTANT SUCCESS: Four years before the practice became the norm upon the advent of Nielsen SoundScan electronic point-of-sale data, Houston scored the first No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200 for a female performer. The week of June 27, 1987, "Whitney" launched at the chart's top spot, where it held for its first 11 weeks. It remained in the top 10 for its first 31 weeks, through Jan. 23, 1988. STRONG SEVEN: Houston holds the Billboard Hot 100 record for most consecutive No. 1 charted singles, having tallied seven in-a-row from 1985 through 1988.

Here is a look at her unequaled chart-topping streak: Date Reached No. 1, Title (Weeks at No. 1) Oct. 26, 1985, "Saving All My Love for You" (one) Feb. 15, 1986, "How Will I Know" (two) May 17, 1986, "Greatest Love of All" (three) June 27, 1987, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (two) Sept. 26, 1987, "Didn't We Almost Have It All" (two) Jan. 9, 1988, "So Emotional" (one) April 23, 1988, "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" (two) Even when her streak ended, Houston's next four solo singles all reached the Hot 100's top 10. (She missed only with "It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be," a sassy superstar duet with Aretha Franklin). With 11 career Hot 100 No.

1s, Houston trails only Mariah Carey (18), Rihanna (13) and Madonna (12) for the most among women. Janet Jackson rounds out the category's top five with 10 leaders. 'EX'-TRAORDINARY: Houston's "Exhale (Shoop, Shoop)" is one of 14 songs by women to have debuted at No. 1 in the Hot 100's history. The song, from the "Waiting to Exhale" soundtrack, opened atop the Nov. 25, 1995, Hot 100. "Exhale" also led Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for eight frames, becoming one of her eight No. 1s on the tally. Houston additionally notched 10 leading titles on Adult Contemporary, making her one of just seven artists to reach the double-digit mark in the chart's history. ALWAYS BE LOVED: When Houston's remake of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" wrapped its 14-week run atop the Hot 100 in 1993, the song stood as the longest-leading title since the chart's Aug.

4, 1958, inception. To-date, only Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men's "One Sweet Day" (16 weeks, 1995-96) has surpassed the reign (also matched by five other songs). Said Parton, who wrote "Always," upon Houston's passing, "Mine is only one of the millions of hearts broken over the death of Whitney Houston. I will always be grateful and in awe of the wonderful performance she did on my song. "I can truly say from the bottom of my heart, 'Whitney, I will always love you.' "You will be missed." Whitney Houston and Dolly Parton: why 'I Will Always Love You' is Whitney's ultimate song - Telegraph Rock and Pop Features Whitney Houston and Dolly Parton: why 'I Will Always Love You' is Whitney's ultimate song Helen Brown looks at how Whitney Houston transformed Dolly Parton's 1973 modest country track 'I Will Always Love You' into one of the greatest hits of all time.

Country singer Dolly Parton wrote Whitney Houston's biggest hit I Will Always Love You Photo: Rex Features By Helen Brown 3:56PM GMT 16 Feb 2012 Snuggling deep into Kevin Costner’s shoulder on the dancefloor of a no frills American bar, Whitney Houston tunes in to the country and western tune coming from the jukebox. “It’s a kinda cowboy song, huh?” she teases. Costner gazes down at the beautiful soul singer in his arms and laughs, acknowledging his taste in old fashioned music and values. And she ploughs on: “I mean, it’s so depressing. Have you listened to the words? It’s one o’ those somebody’s-always-leaving-somebody songs.” The scene is, of course, from Houston’s 1992 movie debut, “The Bodyguard” in which Houston essentially played herself and Costner (then at the height of his Hollywood hunk cachet) played the deadly, deadpan former CIA man hired to protect her from a psychopathic stalker.

(The film was originally proposed for Steve McQueen and Diana Ross in 1976, but fell through when McQueen had a diva fit of his own and refused to be billed second to Ross). And the song is, of course, “I Will Always Love You”. Houston’s powerful version of it not only gave emotional wings to an otherwise laughably leaden movie – it also sent her career soaring, spending ten weeks at Number One in the UK and fourteen weeks at the top of the American charts, selling a whopping 12 million copies around the world. Following Houston's tragic death in a Beverley HIlls hotel room, it is now back in the charts and heading for number one. The Bodyguard Soundtrack – featuring six songs sung by Houston, including “I Have Nothing” -- sold 42 million copies worldwide, making it the world’s best selling soundtrack of all time. 'I Will Always Love You’ became Houston’s signature song, marking her transformation from the technically gifted but emotionally lightweight girl who just wanted to dance with somebody to fully fledged diva.

The song was written by another great singer with Hollywood aspirations, Dolly Parton, who is now set to earn millions of dollars from sales of the song , as fans rush to buy it in memory of their idol. It’s no coincidence that Houston used the song in a film about romantic tension in a professional relationship. For when Parton penned her “bitter sweet” country ballad back in 1973, she wasn’t writing about the break up of a romantic relationship, but about the end of a professional one. The buxom blonde from Tennessee had gotten her big break as “the girl singer” on the Porter Wagoner Show in 1967. Related Articles Whitney Houston dies at 48 12 Feb 2012 But the song writin’, gun totin’ gal from the mountains didn’t plan on spending her life as anybody’s lovely assistant and, as she later told the press, Wagoner was “very much was a male-chauvinist pig.

That’s why we fought like crazy, because I wouldn’t put up with a bunch of stuff.” When Parton decided to leave the show and strike out alone, she wrote the song as a kindly farewell to her old mentor and duetting partner, wishing him joy and happiness in his future career. But the good will wasn’t reciprocated and Wagoner sued her for breach of contract. This history is perhaps what gives the song its rare mood of nobility. Songs about the end of relationships are traditionally sung with an agenda. The singer often regrets bad behaviour that’s caused a break up and seeks reconciliation by promising reformation (as in The Jackson Five’s 'I want You Back’); or threatening suicide (The Police’s 'Can’t Stand Losing You’); or wants a cheating lover to know how empowered they feel now the relationship has ended (Gloria Gaynor’s 'I Will Survive’); or wants to vent a little spleen (Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice” or Justin Timberlake’s 'Cry Me a River’). But the singer of 'I Will Always Love You’ is thinking about the lover – the singee, if you like – who’s been left for his own good.

Although the singer acknowledges she will always love him, she also acknowledges she’s not what he needs. And so departs taking only her memories and promising she will think of him every step of the way. So it’s a brave song. Parton released the single three times and had a minor hit with it in 1982 when she usesd it on the soundtrack to The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Her various co-recordings of the song are all moving evocations of the ending of a complex relationship. But in each, she sounds like a woman resigned to her decision and already driving away. So does Linda Ronstadt in her version. John Doe (whose 1990 recording is the one the Houston and Costner dance to in The Bodyguard) sounds, likewise, like a man who’s closed the door. But when Whitney took the country song into soul ballad territory – lifting it tenderly over the racial borderlines of popular music the way Costner’s character lifted hers across the screaming mob in the movie – she injected it with a whole new level of drama and tension.

She nails us from the start with a raw and vulnerable a capella opening (for which Costner and Houston had to fight studio and record label bosses) “If I should stay, I would only be in your way…” Her soft, regretful vocal stays unaccompanied for a bold 46 seconds, and it achieves in under a minute what the film fails to manage in nearly two hours – it strips away the layers of celebrity fakery to reveal the vulnerable woman beneath. With this achieved, an acoustic guitar wraps its warm simple strings around her. And from there the song just builds and builds. With each step Houston takes away from the lover in the song, she has to screw up all her courage again, and harder. A keyboard joins her and then, at one minute 20 seconds, a drum beat for pace. She’s left the room now and she’s walking. Thirty seconds later, she’s upped the volume and that famous 'Whitney warble’ on a note has a little, almost playful flutter before the saxophone solo. And while Houston does allow her technical ability to dance around the basic melody, she holds key notes steady just long enough to ensure they matter, and then some.

Her vocal ornamentations sounds, in this context, like resolve wavering and adds to the drama. After she sings “But most of all, I wish you love” there’s a three and a half second pause. It sounds like she’s lost her resolve, she might turn back! The tension is almost unbearable. And then that decisive drum beat strikes and she powers back in with the final, triumphal chorus. No wonder so many contestants on shows like Pop Idol and X Factor think this is the song to wow the judges. It’s a song which pleads its own modesty, nobility and vulnerability and is thus guaranteed to win audience empathy. How could we not feel for the little girl alone on that big stage, singing unaccompanied to the nation? And then it builds and builds into a huge statement of strength and courage against the odds allowing the contestant to showcase their technical skills. Done right, it can make the audience feel that they willed it to happen this way, that their support enabled a fragile wannabe to soar so high. Leona Lewis’ nailed it in 2006. It’s worked its magic for Lucie Jones. But as Simon Cowell always cautions: “Are you sure you wanna do that song?

It’s one of the hardest songs in the world to sing.” Houston set the bar so high. Even before her death, her rendition of this song guaranteed that we would always love her. Parton, with her characteristic acuity, nailed this feeling when she spoke after her friend's death. "Mine is only one of the millions of hearts broken over the death of Whitney Houston. I will always be grateful and in awe of the wonderful performance she did on my song and I can truly say from the bottom of my heart, 'Whitney, I will always love you.

You will be missed.'" * A version of this article was first published in the Daily Telegraph's Review supplement on 10 October 2009 Whitney Houston's 'I Will Always Love You': Behind The Song - MTV mtv archive-John-Mitchell 02/13/2012 On Sunday night's Grammy Awards, [article id="1679162"]Jennifer Hudson paid tribute to the late Whitney Houston[/article], who was [article id="1679029"]found dead a day earlier[/article] in Beverly Hills, by delivering a teary-eyed rendition of her most famous song, "I Will Always Love You." What many do not know is that "Love You" is a tune with a long and interesting musical history that dates back to 1974 and has a connection to the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. "I Will Always Love you" was written by country superstar Dolly Parton on June 6, 1974, as the second single from Parton's 13th solo studio album, Jolene.

That's right, by 1974, Dolly Parton had already released 13 albums. And it may interest fans of the song to know that while "I Will Always Love You" is most certainly a love song, it's not really about the deeply passionate parting of two lovers that was conveyed in Houston's cover; the song is about Parton's professional parting of ways with her onetime partner and longtime mentor Porter Wagoner. The song went all the way to #1 on the country charts, and along with "Jolene," arguably one of Parton's finest songs, propelled her out of Wagoner's shadow and onto the country A-list in her own right. The song brought Parton a fan in the unlikely form of rock god Elvis Presley, who expressed interest in recording a cover version of the tune. This, of course, delighted Parton. There was a catch, however: Elvis' formidable manager, Tom Parker, insisted that she sign over 50 percent of the publishing royalties to Presley. That was a problem for Parton, who had a policy against signing away her publishing rights — no matter how big the star wanting to record her track.

"He was planning to record my song, 'I Will Always Love You.' He invited me down to the studio, and the day of the studio, Colonel Tom Parker called and said that they only recorded songs that they had the publishing on, and I couldn't do that," Parton told David Letterman in 2010. "That broke my heart, because I loved Elvis. "I cried all night. Other people were saying, 'You're nuts. It's Elvis Presley. I mean, hell, I'd give him all of it,' " Parton said. "I said, 'I can't do that. Something in my heart says don't do that.' And I just didn't do it, and they didn't do it." Parton re-recorded the song herself in 1982 and included it on the soundtrack to her film "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas." It again went to #1 on the country charts, making Parton the first artist ever to earn a #1 record twice with the same song as a singer.

(Once Houston's cover hit the top of the charts, she became the first songwriter ever to hit #1 three times with the same song.) Like so many other iconic moments in pop culture, Houston's cover of "I Will Always Love You" wasn't even supposed to happen. She originally intended to cover Jimmy Ruffin's "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" as the lead single from "The Bodyguard" until she found out the song had been used just one year earlier in the 1991 film "Fried Green Tomatoes." Houston's "Bodyguard" co-star Kevin Costner attempted to remedy the situation by introducing the singer to Linda Ronstadt's 1975 version of "I Will Always Love You," and Houston loved the song. She decided to rearrange it as a soul ballad with producer David Foster, and a classic was born. Houston and Foster, it seems, were not intent on owning the song's publishing rights.

With Houston's legendary voice laid on the track, "I Will Always Love You" went on to become one of the biggest singles in music history, spending 14 weeks at the top of the Billboard charts — a record at the time — and helping "The Bodyguard" soundtrack sell 44 million copies worldwide to become the biggest soundtrack of all time. Eternally good-hearted, Parton complimented Hudson on her performance of the song at the Grammys and praised Houston's amazing gift in a statement earlier Monday (February 13), saying, "I was brought to tears again last night, as I'm sure many were, when Jennifer Hudson sang 'I Will Always Love You' on the Grammys in memory of Whitney. Like everybody else, I am still in shock. But I know that Whitney will live forever in all the great music that she left behind. I will always have a very special piece of her in the song we shared together and had the good fortune to share with the world. Rest in peace, Whitney. Again, we will always love you." For her part, Hudson was overjoyed to have a chance to say goodbye to her mentor at the Grammys.

"It was the greatest honor of my life to be able to be the one to pay tribute to Whitney's memory," Hudson said in a statement Monday. "It was from my heart. I haven't stopped crying since she passed. Her family is in my prayers." Stick with MTV News all for all the Grammy red-carpet fashion , [article id="1678701"]Grammy winners[/article] and performance recaps until the hangover wears off! Share your condolences with Whitney's family and friends on our Facebook page. I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston Songfacts I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston Songfacts Songfacts Dolly Parton wrote this and did the original version in 1974, which went to #1 on the Country chart that year. She recorded another version for the 1982 movie The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, which also hit #1 on the Country chart. She wrote the song after the breakup of the musical partnership she had with country singer Porter Wagoner. They were never romantically involved. The lyrics are sad in the sense that the singer will always love the person she is singing to, yet she knows they are not right for each other and must let him go.

It is often misinterpreted as a song about people who will be together forever, and even gets played at some weddings. This was featured in the movie The Bodyguard, which Houston starred in with Kevin Costner. Houston played a famous singer and Costner her bodyguard. Of course, they fall in love. Costner picked it for the movie. Whitney originally intended to cover Jimmy Ruffin's " What Becomes of the Brokenhearted " as the lead single from The Bodyguard. However, after she found out the song had been used just one year earlier in the 1991 film Fried Green Tomatoes, Costner suggested she record Dolly Parton's country hit instead. Houston loved the choice but Clive Davis, the Arista Records boss who acted as mentor for the singer throughout her career, was puzzled by the selection. Costner, who also produced the film, knew it would be perfect for the picture and stuck to his guns. "I said, 'This is a very important song in this movie,'" he recalled to CMT. "I didn't care if it was ever on the radio. I didn't care. I said, 'We're also going to do this a cappella at the beginning.

I need it to be a cappella because it shows a measure of how much she digs this guy - that she sings without music.'" Parton's original version was a country ballad. Houston's recording had more lavish production and became a pop, soul, and adult contemporary hit. The tremendous crossover appeal meant that radio stations of many different formats played the song, giving it a huge audience. It ended up being a groundbreaker, but it was a big risk, as there wasn't much crossover between the country and R&B audiences. "Truth be told, the musical side of her camp was very unsure about this little country song," recalled Kevin Costner. While she was crushing the convention that a soul singer shouldn't do country, Houston also proved that her fans would accept her in an on-screen interracial romance, which she had with Costner in the movie. In the film, the race issue wasn't mentioned. This stayed at #1 US for 14 weeks, a record at the time. In 1995, this record was broken by " One Sweet Day " by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men, which held the top spot for 16 weeks.

"I Will Always Love You" does hold the record for the most weeks at #1 for a song that first appeared on a soundtrack. For a time, this was second only to "We Are The World" as the biggest-selling single ever. It was bumped to #3 n 1997, when Elton John's new version of " Candle In The Wind " became the biggest. Houston performed this at the Grammys in 1993. It won for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The song also won the 1992 Soul Train Music Award for R&B Song of the Year. It did not, however, win an Oscar, since it was not eligible for the Best Original Song award. That award can only go to songs that are written specifically for a film. According to Kevin Costner, he really wanted Whitney Houston to star in The Bodyguard with him, so much so that he postponed shooting for a year until she was available. Costner was one of the few people in Hollywood who could convince a movie studio to do this; he had lots of sway after his movie Dances with Wolves won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1991.

The Bodyguard is the best-selling soundtrack of all time. In 2002, while the US was preparing to go to war with Iraq, Saddam Hussein ran TV and radio ads using this song as he prepared to be re-elected. Houston's record label filed a complaint with the Iraqi mission to the United Nations. Elvis Presley wanted to record this song but demanded half the publishing rights. Dolly Parton refused and was vindicated when years later Whitney Houston's version earned her $6 million. Parton commented to Observer Music Monthly April 2008: "'I think stories like that are the reason why younger female artists say I've influenced them." In an interview with UK music magazine Q, Dolly Parton said she "was blown away" by Whitney's version. She said: "The way she took that simple song of mine and made it such a mighty thing, it almost became her song. Some writers say, 'Ooh, I hate the way they've done that to my song or that version wasn't what I had in mind.' I just think it's wonderful that people can take a song and do it so many different ways." David Foster produced this song.

When the decision was made to record it for the movie, Foster went to a record store and bought the Linda Ronstadt version so Whitney could learn the song. When he called Dolly Parton to let her know they were using her song, Dolly told him something very important: the Ronstadt version leaves out the last verse ("I wish you joy and happiness..."), which changes the tone of the song. Parton gave him the lyrics and Whitney recorded the full version. Foster had to tell the film's director, Mick Jackson, that he needed an extra 40 seconds of screen time, as it had been placed in the film minus the last verse. Foster, who has produced Michael Jackson, Celine Dion and Michael Bublé, called it "The love song of the century." The song returned to the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart following Houston's death. Its comeback was fueled by an enormous resurgence in digital sales in the week after her passing of 195,000, an increase of 6723%, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The song was performed by Amber Riley on the 'Heart' episode of Glee.

The tape of the show was delivered to the Fox network the day before the untimely death of Whitney and broadcast four days after her passing. Riley's character Mercedes sings the ballad as part of a plot line revolving around her indecision over two romantic interests. When this reached #3 in the Hot 100 in 2011, it became the fifth song to become a top 10 hit in two different chart runs. So, what were the other four? They were: " The Twist " by Chubby Checker - #1 in 1960 and #1 in 1962. " Monster Mash " by Bobby "Boris" Pickett and The Cryptkickers - #1 in 1962 and #10 in 1973. " Stand By Me " by Ben E. King - #4 in 1961 and #9 in 1986. " Bohemian Rhapsody " by Queen - #9 in 1976 #2 in 1992.

After Houston died on February 11, 2012, "I Will Always Love You" was used in many tributes to the singer, as it was her best-known song. The night after Houston's death, Jennifer Hudson sang a moving rendition in honor of Houston at the Grammy Awards ceremony. Whitney by Whitney Houston on Apple Music 11 Songs iTunes Review From the beginning of the pop-R&B jam “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” to the final sustained notes of “I Know Him So Well,” every corner of Whitney is invigorated by the dynamism and momentum of Houston’s voice. At 23 years old, she was like a young athlete in peak form, operating in total control of an awe-inspiring gift. Whether on the uplifting energy of “Love Will Save the Day” or the simmering regret of “Where Do Broken Hearts Go,” her voice always leads the music in a gust of pure soul and exuberance. Customer Reviews by Lucky charms 34 I am young but I love listening to Whitney and she was just incredible voice and person. Her soul really shines through and I miss you so much!!!

XOXO Good pipes by Colkilla Drugs got the best of her but her voice in her prime is still not comparable to anyone!! Thanks Bobby Brown So emotional I can listen to this track over and over. Biography Born: August 9, 1963 in Newark, NJ Genre: Pop Years Active: '80s, '90s, '00s Whitney Houston was inarguably one of the biggest female pop stars of all time. Her accomplishments as a hitmaker were extraordinary; just to scratch the surface, she became the first artist ever to have seven consecutive singles hit number one, and her 1993 Dolly Parton cover "I Will Always Love You" became nothing less than the biggest hit single in rock history. Houston was able to handle big adult contemporary ballads, effervescent, stylish dance-pop, and slick urban contemporary soul with equal... Top Albums and Songs by Whitney Houston 1.

Question: Who wrote the Whitney Huston number one hit 'I Will Always Love You'?
Answer: DOLLY PARTON